Stay Informed

No One Asked Me What I Wanted

I knew from the moment I found out that I didn’t want to carry the pregnancy to term, but I was overwhelmed by images everywhere telling me that it was “wrong” to consider abortion.

When I searched for information on the Internet, I was bombarded by religious websites with brutal pictures of aborted fetuses. When I tried to go to my friends for help, I was told they were “so excited” and couldn’t wait for me to have a baby.

My boyfriend kept saying how much he wanted a son. No one asked me what I wanted. I felt robbed of choice, like my body was being controlled by everyone but me.

My dreams of going to college and moving out were over because of one mistake. Finally, some kind of switch went off in my head. I couldn’t afford to care what other people thought. I wanted my life back. If that is selfish, then I was willing to be selfish. What kind of mother would I be, anyway?

The next day I made an appointment, but it was hard. I cried a lot. But that was two years ago, and I will be graduating from college in a few months. Most importantly, I tell myself every day that I made the right choice, and I know in my heart that I did.